1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to partitions as separators for articles packed in boxes and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A problem of long standing in the packing of products in containers has been the delays and jammings of packing procedures and equipment due to collapse of the separators or partitions before the products are inserted in the containers. This is a most vexing problem with so-called "butterfly" partitions, which are composed of a single strip intersected by one or more other strips. In such partitions, the presence of only one strip extending in one direction prevents the type of stability in open partitions of the type having two or more strips extending in both directions. In this regard, partitions made up of one or more strips intersecting with a single strip may be suitably locked to prevent their separation. However, such locking means heretofore known do not secure the partition in open condition when it is inserted in a box.
For example, a four-cell partition is made up of two strips interlocked either by edge or center locking means. The partitions are collapsed for shipment to the packer, where the employees open and insert the partitions in upright position in the containers or boxes in which products are to be shipped. Unfortunately, when such containers arrive at a station at which the products are to be inserted, partitions in a number of the containers have falled over and collapsed, even though they are locked together to prevent being separated. In such cases, the result often is that the packing equipment jams and operations must be halted while the containers in question are removed and the equipment restarted to permit operations to resume. Where containers have gotten through with products inserted onto collapsed partitions, such products vibrate against each other during shipment and become damaged. All such results are undesirably expensive in terms of time, labor, material and customer relations.